The Murder of Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah
| Full Name | Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah |
| Also Known As | Bob |
| Age | 50 |
| Origin | Karnataka, India |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Occupation | Motel Manager -- Downtown Suites Dallas |
Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah
Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah, known to those around him as Bob, was 50 years old. He immigrated from Karnataka, India, and built a life in Dallas, Texas, where he lived with his wife Nisha and their son. He was the manager of the Downtown Suites Dallas motel on Samuell Boulevard.
Friends and relatives described Chandra as kind, hardworking, and the type of person who always smiled and helped others. He came to work every morning and ran his motel with care. He was the kind of man who tried to communicate clearly with his employees, who wanted things done right, who looked out for his family.
On the morning of September 10, 2025, his wife and son were in the front office. Chandra was nearby doing what he did every morning -- managing his motel, looking after his team. He did not come home that day.
What We Know
Shortly after 8:00 a.m. on September 10, 2025, Chandra and two coworkers, Yordanis Cobos-Martinez and a female employee, were cleaning rooms on the ground floor of the Downtown Suites Dallas. Chandra came to tell them not to use a broken washing machine. Because of a language barrier he asked the female coworker to translate his instructions into Spanish. Cobos-Martinez became angry that Chandra had spoken to the coworker to translate rather than speaking directly to him.
An argument followed and Cobos-Martinez left the area. Surveillance footage captured what happened next. Around 8:20 a.m. Cobos-Martinez returned with a machete. He began attacking Chandra, stabbing and slashing him. Chandra tried to flee toward the front office where his wife and son were located. His wife and son ran out and attempted to pull Cobos-Martinez away. They could not stop the assault.
Cobos-Martinez hacked at Chandra's neck with the machete and beheaded him in front of his family. After the killing he kicked the severed head twice into the parking lot then picked it up and placed it in a dumpster on the property. He then walked away from the scene still carrying the machete, covered in blood, until a Dallas Fire-Rescue unit followed him and police took him into custody.
Cobos-Martinez was arrested minutes after the attack, still armed and covered in blood. He admitted to the killing in a recorded interview with detectives. ICE assisted Dallas police during the interrogation.
How It Unfolded
The Investigation
The investigation was straightforward in terms of identifying the perpetrator, Cobos-Martinez was arrested at the scene, covered in blood and still carrying the machete. Surveillance footage from the motel captured the entire attack. Multiple witnesses were present including Chandra's wife and son. In his post-arrest interview Cobos-Martinez admitted to the killing in full. ICE assisted Dallas police during the interrogation.
The broader investigation centered on the question of how Cobos-Martinez came to be in Dallas at all. He had a final order of removal from the United States. After completing his 2023 California carjacking sentence he was held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas while ICE attempted to deport him to Cuba. Cuba refused to accept him. On January 13, 2025, just eight months before the murder, he was released under ICE supervision. He had an active warrant for a probation violation in California at the time.
The Dallas County DA indicted Cobos-Martinez on capital murder charges in October 2025 alleging the killing occurred during a robbery. The DA announced they would not seek the death penalty. Cobos-Martinez remains in Dallas County Jail without bond awaiting trial with an immigration detainer in place.
The Accused
He Is Not Forgotten
Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah was 50 years old. He left India and built a life in Dallas. He managed a motel. He went to work every morning. He smiled at people. He helped others. He had a wife and a son who were right there, just feet away, the morning he was killed.
Nisha and their son ran out to help him. They could not stop what was happening. They saw everything. That is something no family should ever have to live with. Chandra's death was not inevitable. It was the result of a series of decisions made by institutions that failed to keep a violent man with a violent history off the streets.
Chandra deserved to go home that morning. He deserved to keep building his life in the country he had chosen. He deserved better. We will say his name.
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